Why did the government go along with Sime Darby in its initial announcement by the DPM only to retract when sensing public pressure from all parties and individuals?

On Cabinet hits pause button on IJN sale

Hello Star Times Sun:

Why can't Sime Darby expand its health business by setting up its own heart institute? Isn't it seeking to 'rape' the goodwill out of the established name of IJN for its own profit?

Why did the government tango with Sime Darby in its initial announcement by the deputy prime minister and strongly supported by MCA's health minister (only to retract when sensing public pressure from all parties and individuals)?

What motivates the government to even consider the privatisation of IJN in the very first place?

And why didn't MCA's health minister oppose the move as one in charge of the health portfolio in the interest of the public? Why leave the DPM to announce a policy proposal that is likely to be opposed by the public, and also MCA's deputy president who is charge of the party bureau for monitoring government policies?

Was the privatisation of IJN to Sime Darby raised in the cabinet meeting? If yes, did the MIC president, among others, object to it? If not, why not?

These questions demand answers from the public.

SH Huang: The latest news on IJN is that the ‘heart’ is not for sale at the moment. As the DPM said recently, it is ‘ on hold’ . Is he trying to say that he is holding the ‘heart ‘ until after the by-election in Kuala Terengganu ? I would like to say now, and not later, ‘put the heart into IJN; don't tear the heart out of IJN. ‘

It is rather strange that some wise guys in Sime Darby and in the government think IJN is a good buy, now that recession is hitting practically every pocket in every country; and it is a bargain to make the kill!

And it is also rather strange that Sime Darby, like any business organisation, will keep the charges the same as at present. Not every businessman is so charitable as to have the heart for people. This is a business transaction; and it is rather naive of any government leader to say that the company will be so charitable; that it will be socially responsible and keep the rates the same

To the company, the bottom-line is profit; it does not see ‘heart’ at the bottom- line!

And what is the cautious DPM trying to say when he said that the sale is ‘on hold’; and that an ‘in-depth study ‘ will be made on IJN ? There is no necessity to make ‘an in-depth study ‘ of the heart . Where is his heart? He should look deep into his own heart.

Has he no heart for the patients who are about to lose their hearts, if prompt surgery is not done to their hearts? Do not be heartless, DPM. Have a heart for the needy patients. I have no time for heartless leaders. Period.

Peter Ooi: When will our government ever learn? Tell me which privatised project owner ever lowered their price of their services?

The government must have gone out of their mind to privatise IJN. With the cost of heart treatment like bypasses rocketing sky-high, IJN is the only hospital whereby the poor folks can find treatment for heart ailments.

With IJN being privatised, I fear that these unfortunate people would definitely have no other hospital for their heart treatment.

Yes, the company intending to take over may give an undertaking to give priority treatment to the poor. But how long can it hold to the promise? With shareholders clamouring for profits, it is almost inevitable that this promise will be broken.

If really the government cares for the welfare of the ordinary folks, the privatisation of IJN would be the last thing to do.

On Landslide: Minister rules out human negligence

JD Lovrenciear: The deputy prime minister decrees 'no more hill slope development' in the wake of yet another tragedy. Looks like our leaders and their greedy entrepreneurs never learned their lesson from the Highland Towers tragedy.

The latest landslide starkly reminds us all that corruption, greed and avarice make victims of the ordinary rakyat. Perhaps, even the people who decided to buy and reside in domains that perch such slopes need to become mindful of their stupidity too.

It is indeed very sad that we have to constantly live in the shadow of man-made dangers. Knowing full well that the Bukit Antarabangsa and its neighboring vicinity are high prone zones of landslide, one begs to know from the DPM himself:

Why are such indiscriminate developments allowed in the first place?

Why do we go on developing that area incessantly when all Malaysians could have enjoyed for centuries a pristine and rich flora and fauna within the city untouched?

If it is not greed then what else is it? It is very sad. But it is true. Soon we will forget and yet another 'high mountain living' project will take shape.

Then will come another landslide followed by a seemingly wise advice by the leaders.

Truly, if the government of the day wants to walk the talk, then it should ban all development on Bukit Antarabangsa and return the hills to the unique flora and fauna that rightful belong there.

Otherwise, just shut up and let tragedy after tragedy take the lives of many more victims.

Jr Lee: It is indeed very sad to see human lives lost again in the same area as the Highland Towers disaster some time ago. It's like history repeating itself and the authorities, as in the past, repeated the same statements that no more highland developments will be allowed and action will be taken.

We need to see tangible action and prosecution taken and not just the same rhetoric from the authorities and ministers which we are really fed-up with by now. Since the Highland Towers disaster, were any corrupted development officials for that area and property developers prosecuted for the loss of human lives?

If this disaster happened in a more civilised country where the authorities take a very serious view on combating corruption, the guilty parties will immediately be prosecuted to warn everyone that corruption will not be tolerated. But, the Malaysian Boleh concept does not permit us to do that!

Until and unless the guilty parties are prosecuted, people living in that area must be prepared that there will be more disasters coming and have sleepless nights every time when it rains heavily.

We are also fed-up with excuses from the state authorities such as ‘acts of God’, ‘unusual rainfall’, ‘illegal development’ etc. It is time that the authorities be responsible for their lack of enforcement, breach of trust and loss of human lives.

On Wan Ahmad Farid is BN's choice

D Madden: I know I'm naive and stupid when it comes to Malaysian politics. But if you are going to stand a sitting senator for the KT by-election, doesn’t that mean another by-election in the near future? And doesn’t that mean further opportunities for BN to lose seats?

And what's with these other three candidates standing for the seat? Are they trying to prove that its pure selfishness that drives Malaysians into politics or are they even more naive than I am?

Dr B Chandran: Come Jan 17, the non-Malay voters in Kuala Terengganu will be given the opportunity to voice thier 51 years of marginalisation by the Umno regime.

The non-Malay voters must send a clear message to the Umno-led government in general and to Najib Abdul Razak in particular that they had enough of a autocratic, corrupted and an arrogant government.

The non-Malay voters in Kuala Terengganu must initiate the process of change and take the KT by-election as a referendum on whether they are proud to have Najib as their PM. A future PM with so much of unanswered question on his moral values.

The voters must be part of the system that brings about the downfall of a communal-based government to be replaced it with a government that strongly believes in the concept of distributive justice for all.

History tells us that a government that is arrogant cannot be reformed - it must to be replaced.

So the ball is at the feet of all the non-Malay voters of Kuala Terengganu for their vote will be crucial in determining the future of their generation in this country they call home.

On 16 Jerit cyclists arrested in Johor

Stephen Ng: This story may not have been featured in most other papers but when such things happen, the public should start asking what is happening to our police force.

The arrest of the16 Jerit cyclists in Kulai is simply outrageous.

The police should immediately stop this abuse of power. They should instead be focusing their attention on reducing crime rates in the country. While they complain that they are short of manpower, why should some 50 police officers be involved in the arrest?

This raises many questions as to the effectiveness of our boys in blue uniform. Whoever is involved in the arrest of these cyclists should be taken to task instead of being allowed to abuse their power at public displeasure.

A few years ago, the traffic police chief of Kuala Lumpur called off his men from the road for one day. This caused heavy traffic congestion.

It is time that the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) be implemented as part of Pak Lah's reforms.

On Reform bills get mixed responses from MPs

Ahmad Fuad: From what is available (especially) from the Internet, they have only confirmed what I had thought of Abdullah Badawi, since 2004.

That either:

1. He is neither serious nor interested in reform, or

2. He has not the clout to effect reforms.

Time for change.

On 'Nude war' declared on 'devil' Anwar

The Healer: A conclusion made without trying. I think Ramlan Abu Bakar ought to raise his concerns through party channels before he concludes before the public via the media that the Selangor government is using the method of gangsters.

Furthermore, suggesting to be a bigger gangster to raise grouses and to overcome obstacles does not seem like an intelligent and mature leader.

After all, one would wonder why is he so eager to strip before ‘the devil’.

On Riz Khan to interview Najib, Mahathir live

Concerned Non-Economist: After the world saw the performance of our prime minister-in- waiting and prime minister out-of-waiting on the Riz Khan Show. they must conclude that Malaysia is heaven on earth.

The two of them put up such a grand performance for global TV that even I was convinced. In Malaysia all are treated equally and if they are not, they will be by the incoming prime minister. It was a wonderful public relations exercise and I would like to congratulate the two for putting this matter to rest.

However, I have a problem. During the days of the Soviet Empire in the 60s and 70s it was common for US congressional delegations to visit Eastern Eureopean countries to better understand their system of government.

The leader of one such delegation on his return to the US remarked in response to a question from the press that the US should not fear these countries because while all policy indicators clearly showed that they were going left in the direction of socialism, they - or the ruling class - were actually going right towards capitalism.

I sincerely hope that our leaders meant what they said on the Riz Khan Show and come the year 2020 we will have a Malaysia that is less selfish and more selfless.